Two Months

I can't believe two months have already gone by since we came home. Technically two months was last Wednesday. The time has flown and to look back on how far we have come as a family is a little humbling.

I have a tendency to want everything perfect right now. So I have been pushing hard to try and get Nastia caught up in all that she wasn't taught in Ukraine. On top of this, she is learning how to be a sister to three brothers. They, in turn, are learning how to be good brothers to her. She is also learning manners, how to use silverware correctly, that it isn't okay to wear your socks for five days in a row without washing them, that you change your panties every day, and on and on and on. You get the picture. We started from scratch and have come a long way in two months.

She is speaking full sentences in English and is very creative in helping me understand things that she might not know all the correct words for. In school, her teacher has been very impressed with the speed that she is learning. She is right in line academically with some of the other first graders that have grown up in American privileged homes. She knows now to change her clothes daily and that mom will only allow her to wear the same shirt three days in a row, not four, that is pushing it! (Hey, it saves me on a lot of laundry...give me a break.) Panties and socks are changed daily. She is learning what it means to match your clothing colors and patterns. She is even combing her hair the way I've taught her, instead of the way she has been doing it all her life with little guidance.

As far as becoming a sister and daughter in the family. She is doing really well. I have to give her a lot of credit for all that she has had to learn and comprehend, through it all she is generally a pretty easy girl to get along with. She is full of love and always wants big hugs and kisses. She is learning to hug her brothers like she actually likes them. This has been a tough one, but we're getting there. She is reading out of the scriptures each night with us and she can read about half of the words all on her own. It is amazing.

Her teacher sent home a family activity to complete last week that brought with it an epiphany I hadn't had yet. We read about Leo the tiger that blossomed later than all the other animals, but once he blossomed he was able to do everything that everyone else could do, in his own due time. We talked about what things we love to do but want to be better at. First epiphany was that she is blossoming a little later than most of the kids, but it won't take long before she is passing some of them up at the rate she is going. Then second epiphany, and probably the most important, was that she loves to read and wants to be better at it. This was the goal we set for her after reading this book, is that she would practice, practice, practice reading. And by the end of the year, she would be reading all on her own. After the discussion, I asked her if she ever read in Ukraine and she said no! I couldn't believe it. Here she is almost eight years old and she has never read before now and she loves it. Wow! The power of education and the freedoms and privileges we enjoy here are taken for granted by so many, including myself. To see her love it here so much has helped me to be more thankful for the things that I have been blessed with and to try and not take them for granted.

Well, as you can see, I could probably go on for quite a while about all that she has learned. We are all doing really well and enjoying life. We are settling down into a comfortable schedule finally and things are beginning to look up. I just need to sit back and enjoy the ride a little more. I need to have more fun with all of my kids and not be so wrapped up in the little things that are inconsequential. Easier said than done, but I'm trying.

I've caught up the blog and there are finally quite a few pictures going all the way back to when we were in Kiev for a day before coming home. Great pictures...take a look!